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Colin Kaepernick focuses on both football and activism

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.—Early in the third quarter of their 45-16 loss to Buffalo, the San Francisco 49ers emptied their backfield and gave newly promoted Colin Kaepernick what every dual-threat quarterback wants — a spread field and the choice to pass or run.

Kaepernick sprinted for 29 yards and for a moment it felt like 2013, when he led the 49ers to a 12-4 record and the NFC championship game.

But fans outside New Era Field provided stark reminders of how profoundly Kaepernick’s public persona has changed since then.

One group of tailgaters peddled T-shirts featuring a silhouette of a kneeling Kaepernick framed in a rifle’s crosshairs. Elsewhere another group knelt in solidarity with Kaepernick, whose protests against racial profiling and police brutality have transformed him from a near-forgotten quarterback to the most polarizing figure in major sports.

Kaepernick strode into a post-game media scrum sporting a blowout afro and Muhammad Ali T-shirt beneath a black blazer. He assured reporters he felt relieved to return to the 49ers starting lineup, and that Kaepernick the athlete-activist is sticking around.

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“The message carries weight because people realize what’s happening . . . and that it is something that needs to be addressed,” he said. “More and more conversations are happening that need to happen so ultimately we can address this issue and create change.”

While Kaepernick has made headlines since August for refusing to stand for the pre-game anthem, he hadn’t started a game since last November 1.

His regular-season return came 48 years to the day after Olympic 200-metre champ Tommie Smith and bronze medallist John Carlos raised black-gloved fists as the U.S. anthem played during their medal ceremony in Mexico City.

Last November University of Missouri president Tim Wolfe resigned after black football players threatened to boycott a game over Wolfe’s refusal to take action against racism on campus. And this summer several WNBA players donned Black Lives Matter T-shirts during warm-ups, protesting shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling by police.

When Kaepernick joined the protests in August, he helped amplify a pro-black social justice message to levels unheard of among pro athletes since the days of Smith and Carlos.

“His decision to use his social status to send a political message is wrong,” said Ottawa resident Ian Cahill, wearing a Kaepernick jersey. “But I want to support him as a player and not as a person today.”

Promoted to help boost a 49ers passing attack that ranks 26th among 32 NFL teams, Kaepernick says the attention over his politics hasn’t affected his game preparation. On his first series he overthrew receiver Torrey Smith, who had streaked through the Bills’ secondary and looked set to score.

Later he connected with Smith on a 53-yard touchdown, but completed just 13 of his 29 pass attempts for 187 yards.

“Physically he looked good,” said 49ers head coach Chip Kelly. “He really made some plays with his legs today. We have to do a better job with everyone on the offensive side.”

When Kaepernick lined up for the 49ers first series, Buffalo fans showered him with jeers, but in subsequent possessions the booing subsided. And despite the politically fraught backdrop, the game settled into familiar rhythms.

Fans made noise to drown out the visiting team’s offensive signals. They celebrated Bills scores by singing “The Bills Make me Want to Shout” as it played over stadium loudspeakers. And they watched the 49ers bleed yardage on defence and sputter on offence.

Unconfirmed reports rippled through Twitter that a fan had been ejected after throwing a beer bottle in Kaepernick’s direction, but he’s not sure it actually happened.

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